CES 2013: Liquipel Announces 2.0 Watersafe Nanocoating For Waterproofing Devices

[unplugme71]

This is one of those things you don't want to try and see if it works. So in the end, do they reimburse you if your phone doesn't work if it gets wet? Probably not.

[rmwebs]

I'm more impressed by Gorilla Glass 3 - took 100 pounds of pressure after already having done some tests, and with an intentional scratch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=0HctahiOuLM

[koa]

"...using tecnnology only found in the natural world on the surface of the sun..." REALLY?

http://youtu.be/b5Po9bQ2_QE

[mushroomtip]

You can get it done on your iPad 2 and 3 right now. although I don't see drooping my iPad in the toilet

[Ralf The Dog]

Lifetime warranty. We will pay for replacement of your device, until it is broken. When your device needs to be replaced, it's lifetime coverage is over.

(Not saying, this is the case for this product.)

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by FrankieTDouglas

Their first store is in Canada, but their warranty is only for US customers?

Maybe Canadian water is more penetrative than American water.

[bearsalley34]

does anyone know if the phones feels any different or looks any different on the outside after this coating is applied? If it looked like it had something on it or if it felt strange, I would definitely be deterred from trying it.

[SockRolid]

Two comments:

1. Even if Watersafe 2.0 were used in, say, iPhones, Apple might not want to disclose that fact. The last thing any cell phone manufacturer would want is half their new handset customers dousing their phones in the the nearest faucet or dipping them in their Diet Cokes. Every time someone asks "Is that one of those waterproof phones?"

2. Liquipel would take over the world if they introduced a "Dirtsafe" car wax that repels dirt as well as Watersafe 2.0 repels water. Is nanocoating the next car wax innovation?

[Rocko1]

Good luck getting a warranty claim paid. It's just like the surge protector guarantee, worthless.

[MrDc2]

LifeProof + Liquipel ...

[mushroomtip]

looks like this treatment will void your Apple warranty

https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0

[testcard]

Originally Posted by KieranDotW

The question is, will this void the device manufacturer's warranty?

My thought exactly.

[ghettochris]

I am impressed they can gas your assembled phone and make this work, I would have expected the completed circuit board and other components would have to be coated individually then assembled.

[palmerc2]

I'd probably get it done. A while back I dropped my iPhone 4 in the jacuzzi for about 5 seconds, then it was making all kinds of crackling sounds and I couldn't turn it off because it would automatically turn itself back off. So I just ran the battery out, put it in uncooked rice for 5 days, and worked like brand new. Still...it was a close one!

[chuckiehina]

I know (since I have done it) they offer a walk-in/drop off service in their office in Santa Ana, CA. Drop your phone off at noon and you can pick it up either after 5 or the next day. While I am dubious on if it works, having lost a palm pilot to having it fall in a puddle while getting out of the car, I have had my iPhone treated. It was less than the cost of a nice dinner out, and it does provide me a bit more piece of mind.

[Rocko1]

Originally Posted by PeterQVenkman

Didn't clark griswold try to invent a sealant for cereal that kept it crunchy in milk?

IIRC, that was in Christmas Vacation!

Oh the Crunch enhancer? Yeah it's a non-nutritive cereal varnish. It's semi-permiable. It's not osmotic. What it does is it coats and seals the flake, prevents the milk from penetrating it.

http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/...chenhancer.mp3

[mrxak]

Originally Posted by AppleGuesser

Why would I want this when I have a Lifeproof? That is all I need

Ok, seriously, this is pretty cool. I would love to have this coating on my iPhone

The advantage of a LifeProof (besides the drop resistance) is that it keeps water out of the device. With this, it sounds to me (I could be wrong) that water does get into the device. That means it'll be leaking back out over the course of minutes or hours after submersion. That could get annoying.

Now, I'm all in favor of making just about everything waterproof, if we can. But I'd rather do it with seals at the case, not something sprayed onto electrical components.

[oomega1]

doesn't apple already have a partial coating? (opps update: at least for the iphone 5 and new iPads) for a few min? Plus the company doesn't even warranty it will work right? There was bad reviews in the past so I been waiting for another company.

But after seeing the reviews from android authority regarding apple's own coating, I think i'm safe from spills and an a quick accident drop in water. It was on macrumors earlier but if you want to see it again google android authority iphone torture test. I had heard reports that some people dropped it in water for 15 min. So testing something that already has a coating, I'm not so impressed.

[samcraig]

A better question would be: Would Apple and or one of its "geniuses" be able to even tell.

IE - does it trip the moisture sensor when the item is treated.

IF it doesn't - the odds that detection on a nano level is going to be rare, no?

How many Apple Geniuses run that level of testing on a device

[Nabby]

Originally Posted by BornAgainApple

Anyone know if they treat the entire phone or just the ports and switches?

We had someone here at work do it with their iPhone 5.

The phone is put into a vacuum chamber and the Liquipel gas is added to the chamber. The gas particles then settle on the components and do their thing.

The phone is shipped back with a tissue coated in the Liquipel as well. You can dunk the tissue in a cup of water and it totally repels the water.

I'm not sure I'd be willing to test my phone to prove it works, but the tissue example is pretty cool.

Originally Posted by bearsalley34

does anyone know if the phones feels any different or looks any different on the outside after this coating is applied? If it looked like it had something on it or if it felt strange, I would definitely be deterred from trying it.

The person at work had them apply a film to the face of the phone, so that feel different, but the rest of the phone feels the same as my iPhone 5. I could not tell it had been treated.

Nabby

[sransari]

seems like a much better option than paying $69 (or however much it is) for applecare which won't cover water damage.

[superman23]

my dream is an iPad that floats in my bath tub

[Gomff]

This on all portable electronic devices as standard please....Especially phones and Laptops.

Doesn't have to come with a warranty, just do it to give the consumer a little more peace of mind and for those "I just spilled (whatever) on my Macbook" threads to have a different ending.

I'd pay extra for it in a heartbeat.

[iNVERSE]

Wow, this stuff is pretty cool.

I would be interested to see how it works with the external components, though. (i.e. headphone jack and USB)

I wonder if after many water accidents if those components start to go first?

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by spiderman0616

I don't know--I've seen some people test this and it doesn't work. And I'm not talking they dunked it in water and pulled it out--I've seen people just quickly drop it in water and pull it right back out, and the phone died every time.

I don't trust it.

I thought version 2 of this product is new. You must have seen this at the show, or where?

I wonder what impact this coating has on the mechanical switches and jacks.